Monday, July 5, 2010

The Taking Of Pelham 123 - 2009 - 1 Star

Actors: John Travolta, Denzel Washington
Director: Tony Scott

I don't normally review films this putrid on this blog, but I alighted upon this stunning piece of drivel on television and was compelled to watch it.

Why remake a masterpiece? The original Taking of Pelham 123 is a great film, a gritty 70s New York triumph about an attempted takeover and ransom of a New York City subway train. This movie is a complete disaster, substituting Robert Shaw's taciturn, meticulous terrorist with John Travolta ham, several subplots that are totally unneeded, a bizarre commentary on the nature of Wall Street, and terrible direction - it's as if the director thinks that if the camera stays still for more than three seconds that we will immediately become bored.

Film remakes can have some value - they can provide new interpretations of old classics, or update films for a new generation. One gets the sense in watching this, however, that Gone With The Wind needed a backtalking chimpanzee, or that The Godfather needed a courtroom scene. All Hollywood 'style', absolutely no substance, and utterly forgettable - stick with the original.

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